This invention relates generally to golf equipment and, in particular, to a method of making a prototype golf club grip.
When a golf club grip such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D414,233 and D431,851 to D. W. Anderson is designed, a model (i.e. a prototype) is usually made so that the visual impression and the feel of the grip may be evaluated prior to spending the time and money required to make a master and a mold for mass production of the grip. The conventional method of making a prototype golf club grip is to start with a cylindrical aluminum bar in a lathe and then turn down the opposite ends of the aluminum bar to form a pair of oppositely extending bosses by which the aluminum bar is held during subsequent machining operations. A lathe cannot be used to accomplish these subsequent machining operations because machining of a prototype golf club grip is a very complex operation due to the shape of the grip and this machining is performed on a multi-axis milling machine. Due to the nature of aluminum and multi-axis milling machines, cutting the cylindrical aluminum bar into the desired shape while also cutting the grooves and other design features into the surface of the aluminum bar must be done very slowly, or the cutting tools will be ruined. In addition, when graphics such as a trademark, logo or other designs are incorporated into the grip, the time required and the difficulty associated with machining such graphics makes it impractical to apply them on a prototype grip prior to evaluation of the design. Therefore, visual evaluation of grip aesthetics is usually made on a grip prototype which lacks graphics.
Furthermore, if a mistake is made during machining of an aluminum prototype golf club grip or a design change is desired during the machining operations, the entire process must be started over again since it is virtually impossible to repair or make design changes in an aluminum prototype grip. The reason for this is that a damaged prototype grip, or one that is to be modified, cannot be welded while on the milling machine and once removed from the milling machine, it is virtually impossible to return it to the milling machine in the precise location required to avoid misalignment of the various design features on the grip.
In accordance with the present invention, a method of making a prototype golf club grip is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes a step of providing a two-piece mold which has a main chamber and a pair of blind bores at opposed ends of the main chamber. A slot extends laterally from the main chamber through one side of the two-piece mold. Another step includes providing a mandril, and a further step is placing the mandril in the two-piece mold so that an intermediate section thereof lies in the main chamber and opposite ends of the mandril are disposed in the blind bores of the two-piece mold. Another step of the method is pouring polymeric material such as epoxy into the main chamber defined in the two-piece mold through the slot formed through one side of the mold. A further method step is curing the polymeric material to form a grip blank on the intermediate section of the mandril with the opposite ends of the mandril extending from the grip blank and, after the mandril and the grip blank are removed from the mold, the final step of the method includes machining the grip blank into a desired shape for the prototype golf club grip.
Due to the ease of machining epoxy, the final step of the above-described method may be quickly and easily accomplished and graphics may be included in the machining operation. In addition, if mistakes are made, or design changes are desired during machining of the grip blank, the effected area or areas can be patched with polymeric material without removing it from the milling machine, thus avoiding misalignment problems. When the prototype golf club grip is no longer needed, it may be easily removed from the mandril so that the mandril, and the two-piece mold, may be reused.